A mixed bag of babies and a blog

March 2011

03/27/2011

Bucket-headed babies are adorable. I watch them and I laugh and snort, and they make me think that I might need to stab someone in the eye with a fork to protect them from harm. You there: Stupid boy #1, whoever you are, beware of my wrath.

There’s going to be a lot of wrath in the future.

But there is only so much crazy to go around, and I have decided that two babies are enough for me. Officially.

It’s odd to think that I won’t have to think about trying, or not trying to have a baby again. So many years were spent trying not to have a baby. That’s all that the OBGYN talked about during annual visits: prevention. And then one day, I got a raised eyebrow, and she asked, “You’re how old?”

I had just turned 30.

Apparently that’s like saying that I should be open for business.

She said [and I quote], “Well, it’s never too early to start taking prenatal vitamins, because you should really think about having babies before the age of 35.”

What the fuck, Doctor Vagina?

I suppose I could say that I took her advice. But we weren’t thinking about babies the first time. How to get my wedding dress off so we could have sex was at the top of the list. I had those teeny tiny buttons all the way down the back. Khary said his fingers were too big, and I couldn’t wiggle my way out. The solution: a fork.

I can tell the girls that they are examples of why they need to use protection because we are fertile. Very fertile.

And then the not trying began again. Because to have three babies in three years would send me over the edge, and the doctor (another doctor, not Doctor Vagina) told me that I really needed to wait after the trauma of Aja’s birth.

For a while we kept the possibility open. I always thought it would be great to have a big family and so I didn’t want to close that door. But reality says that babies cost a lot, and we don’t know why Aja was premature so there’s a likelihood of not being able to carry another baby to term, and then there’s all that crying.

My head hurts just thinking about the three-headed monster crying, crying, crying.

03/22/2011

03/20/2011

Sure curiosity killed the cat, but I think that cat may have had a sibling that was sticking a claw in its butt, urging and pushing, and saying, “No, YOU do it.”

There’s no death in this story, and they didn’t even get themselves in a predicament they couldn’t get out of, but Jocelyn and Aja are bonding over shared curiosity and learning that sometimes when things are “shared” they can hurt. Physically.

We have a bin that used to hold toys, until the bin runneth over with Elmo(s) and teddy bears. We moved it and designated it as a place to hold diapers, now that the changing table has left the building (before becoming a jungle gym). But this little green bin is like a magnet to the curly-haired beings in this house. The girls like to pull all the diapers out and scatter them like birdseeds all over the living room floor. They each are strong enough to lift the bin, carry it around, and wear it like a hat. My one rule is that they don’t turn it over to stand on top of it. The last thing I need is Jocelyn being able to reach the counters or into the kitchen sink (it was what first drew her in, although I don’t’ think she was there to wash dishes).

I was on the phone when Jocelyn climbed in the bin. Aja ran over and held onto the side, screeching out her little “uh uh” cry, and bouncing up and down. Jocelyn reached out to her saying, “Aja in! Aja in!” So I picked her up and placed her in Jocelyn’s lap. For a moment they each giggled, and Jocelyn gave her sister a little hug, until she realized she was being squished.

“Aja out! Aja out!”

Like any good mother, I made them stay there until I could get a picture.

Sisterly love is a funny thing. Having a brother myself, I don’t fully understand it. All I know is that if they end up snowed in at a struggling Vermont Inn, they can give Betty and Judy a run for their money.

03/12/2011

Nothing says Friday night like punching the air and shaking your booty to some of the finest (or worst) 80's songs. Jocelyn likes to tell me when to stand up, when to sing, when to march, and when to spin her around. Her favorite part is a combination of dance and chase, which results in all of us running in circles and me collapsing and unable to breathe.

Months ago I realized that Jocelyn was a fan of dancing and she was fascinated with a local show called Dance Party on KOFY. For years they showed reruns of their 50's version. Now they're back, and they're celebrating the 80's. Dancers dress up in their best gear, they pop and block, and perfect their version of Molly Ringwald's dance/snap/kick from The Breakfast Club. Jocelyn's favorite song from last nights show: We Got the Beat by The Go-Go's. My favorite part: when she imitates my moves and tries to sing along, a beat after me. A two-and-a-half-year-old trying to sing Pat Benetar's Heartbreaker is my idea of good fun. Meanwhile, Aja stands to the side doing side-bends with her hands in the air. Her favorite song: any song that has clapping.

Our moves might be questionable (as Khary likes to say) but they are determined, and we are enthusiastic. Wait, that's what someone told me about my karaoke skills. Either way, we got the beat.

03/10/2011

Having experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and to a smaller degree the Northridge earthquake (we were visiting Santa Barbara at the time), you would think that I would be prepared for that inevitable emergency. We have a small kit that is missing its radio. We don't have batteries or water. We have every intention to get prepared, but we have yet to do so.

Tonight is another reminder to get up off my ass and get it together. My heart goes out to the people in Japan, and I can only hope that the worst is over. Unfortunately, the coast is still feeling the wrath of the tsunami, and the waves keep pushing their way inland.

There's a great website called 72 hours that is full of vital information regarding a wide range of natural disasters. They give tips about what to do if there's an earthquake, a flood, or a terror attack (to name a few), and they provide information about what you will need, were something to happen.

Even if you don't live in earthquake country, take a moment to check out 72 hours.org and make a plan for your family.